A data network, is a digital telecommunications network which allows nodes to share resources. In data networks, devices or nodes exchange data with each other using connections between nodes (data links). These data links are established over cable media such as wires or optic cables, or wireless media such as WiFi. Network devices that originate, route and terminate the data are called network nodes. Nodes can include hosts such as personal computers, phones, servers as well as networking hardware.
Data networks typically implement some sort of media access scheme to prevent collision between multiple network nodes using the same communication line and to ensure quality of service. For example, some data networks, such as HPNA (Home Phoneline Network Alliance) v.3, HomePlug AV and G.hn networks, implement resource reservation schemes to allocate and guarantee media resources to network nodes communicating over a shared medium. In some examples, media access plans (MAP) are used where each MAP indicates when each device or node may access the shared medium. Media access plans are transmitted regularly to the devices in the network by a central coordinator, sometimes referred to as the domain master.
Home networking technologies have been developed to enable Ethernet connections in a residence without requiring the house to be wired with Cat-5 cable. While wireless local area networks (WLANs) based on the IEEE 802.11 standard have gained widespread adoption, WLANs suffers from performance limitations, such as poor radio frequency propagation and interference, especially in multiple dwelling units, which limit WLANs' ability to provide high-speed services with strict quality of service (QoS) requirements for applications such as high definition video streaming. As a result, developments have turned to wired in-home networking technologies, operating over all types of in-home wiring, such as telephone wiring, in-home power lines, coaxial cables, and Cat-5 cables. For example, G.hn is a specification for high-speed wired home networking with data rates up to 2 Gbit/s and with operation over four legacy in-home wiring, including telephone wiring, in-home power lines, coaxial cables and plastic optical fiber (POF). A G.hn network consists of one or more domains where each domain includes a domain master and up to 250 nodes. Benefits of a multi-wire standard such as the G.hn standard include lower equipment cost and lower deployment cost by allowing easy user self-install.